Conventionally, there are games in which a plurality of player characters are individually moved in a virtual space through a usage of a plurality of operating devices a controller, a handheld gaming device, or the like) including a direction input section.
In such games described above, when an operating device including a plurality of direction input sections is used, it is also possible to individually move a plurality of player characters through the usage of the plurality of the direction input sections provided on the operating device. Thus, for example, it is also possible for a single player to simultaneously move the plurality of the player characters by using such operating device.
However, when individually moving a plurality of player characters through the usage of a plurality of direction input sections, positions of the plurality of the player characters varyingly change while a game is played, and thereby a problem arises where it becomes difficult to understand which direction input section is associated to which player character at a glance. This is even more of a problem particularly when a single player simultaneously moves a plurality of player characters by using an operating device including a plurality of direction input sections as described above.
Therefore, a feature in the exemplary embodiments described herein is to make it easy to understand which object is associated to which direction input section when a plurality of objects are individually moved through the usage of a plurality of direction input sections.
The above described feature is achieved, for example, by the configurations described in the following.
A first configurational example is a game system including an object control section, a virtual camera control section, and a game image generation section. The object control section individually moves, in a virtual space, a plurality of first objects each associated to a direction input section among a plurality of direction input sections disposed on a first operating device, in accordance with directions inputted through the associated direction input sections. The virtual camera control section controls a first virtual camera in the virtual space in accordance with positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space. The game image generation section generates a first game image based on the first virtual camera. The virtual camera control section includes a rotation control section configured to rotate the first virtual camera in accordance with the positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space, such that a certain one of the first objects in the first game image is displayed on a predetermined side with regard to a displayed position of another one of the first objects.
It should be noted that, the “first operating device” may be any device (e.g., a portable display device, a controller, a handheld gaming device, or the like) having at least two direction input sections. The “direction input section” may be, for example, an analog stick or a cross button. The “predetermined side” may be, for example, the right side, the left side, the upper side, or the lower side. “Configured to rotate the first virtual camera” refers to changing a direction (attitude) of the first virtual camera, and representatively refers to rotating the first virtual camera by using, as a center, an axis perpendicular with respect to a game field (e.g., any axis that is parallel to the Z-axis in FIG. 6).
It should be noted that, the first operating device may include a first display section; the first game image may be displayed on the first display section; and the plurality of the direction input sections may include a first direction input section disposed on a left side of the first display section and a second direction input section disposed on a right side of the first display section. Furthermore, the object control section may move a left object among the plurality of the first objects in accordance with a direction inputted through the first direction input section, and also may move a right object among the plurality of the first objects in accordance with a direction inputted through the second direction input section; and rotation control section may rotate the first virtual camera such that the right object is displayed in the first game image on a right side with regard to a displayed position of the left object.
Furthermore, the rotation control section may adjust a rotational velocity of the first virtual camera in accordance with a distance between the right object and the left object.
Furthermore, the game system may further include a simultaneous operation determination section configured to determine whether the right object and the left object are simultaneously in motion. The rotation control section may rotate the first virtual camera when the right object and the left object are simultaneously in motion, and may suspend rotating of the first virtual camera when only either one of the right object and the left object is in motion.
Furthermore, the virtual camera control section may control an angle of view or a position of the virtual camera such that the plurality of the first objects are all displayed.
Furthermore, the first operating device may further include a reception section configured to receive the first game image from a game apparatus including the object control section, the virtual camera control section, and the game image generation section.
Furthermore, the object control section may control, in the virtual space, a plurality of second objects each associated to a second operating device among a plurality of second operating devices, in accordance with inputs from the associated second operating devices; the game image generation section may generate a second game image including the plurality of the second objects based on at least one second virtual camera; and the game apparatus may further include an image output section configured to output the second game image to a display device.
Furthermore, the first operating device may be a handheld gaming device including the object control section, the virtual camera control section, and the game image generation section.
A second configurational example is a game processing method executed by a computer. The game processing method includes the steps of: individually moving, in a virtual space, a plurality of first objects each associated to a direction input section among a plurality of direction input sections disposed on a first operating device, in accordance with directions inputted through the associated direction input sections; controlling a first virtual camera in the virtual space in accordance with positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space; and generating a first game image based on the first virtual camera, wherein when the controlling of the first virtual camera is performed, rotating of the first virtual camera is performed in accordance with the positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space, such that a certain one of the first objects in the first game image is displayed on a predetermined side with regard to a displayed position of another one of the first objects.
A third configurational example is a game apparatus including an object control section, a virtual camera control section, and a game image generation section. The object control section individually moves, in a virtual space, a plurality of first objects each associated to a direction input section among a plurality of direction input sections disposed on a first operating device, in accordance with directions inputted through the associated direction input sections. The virtual camera control section controls a first virtual camera in the virtual space in accordance with positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space. The game image generation section generates a first game image based on the first virtual camera. The virtual camera control section includes a rotation control section configured to rotate the first virtual camera in accordance with the positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space, such that a certain one of the first objects in the first game image is displayed on a predetermined side with regard to a displayed position of another one of the first objects.
A fourth configurational example is a handheld gaming device including a plurality of direction input sections, an object control section, a virtual camera control section, a game image generation section, and a first display section. The object control section individually moves, in a virtual space, a plurality of first objects each associated to a direction input section among the plurality of the direction input sections, in accordance with directions inputted through the associated direction input sections. The virtual camera control section controls a first virtual camera in the virtual space in accordance with positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space. The game image generation section generates a first game image based on the first virtual camera. The first display section displays the first game image. The virtual camera control section includes a rotation control section configured to rotate the first virtual camera in accordance with the positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space, such that a certain one of the first objects in the first game image is displayed on a predetermined side with regard to a displayed position of another one of the first objects.
A fifth configurational example is a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program executed by a computer, and the computer is caused to function as an object control section, a virtual camera control section, and a game image generation section. The object control section individually moves, in a virtual space, a plurality of first objects each associated to a direction input section among a plurality of direction input sections disposed on a first operating device, in accordance with directions inputted through the associated direction input sections. The virtual camera control section controls a first virtual camera in the virtual space in accordance with positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space. The game image generation section generates a first game image based on the first virtual camera. The virtual camera control includes a rotation control section configured to rotate the first virtual camera in accordance with the positions of the plurality of the first objects in the virtual space, such that a certain one of the first objects in the first game image is displayed on a predetermined side with regard to a displayed position of another one of the first objects.
With the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, it becomes easy to understand which object is associated to which direction input section.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the certain exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.